earth-sciences

Paleoceanography & Ocean History

Reconstructing ancient ocean conditions — oxygen isotope proxies for ice volume, eustatic sea-level curves, thermohaline circulation shutdowns, carbonate compensation depth shifts, and oceanic anoxic events that reshaped marine life.

paleoceanographyocean historyoxygen isotopessea levelthermohaline circulationcarbonate compensationocean anoxiaforaminiferamarine geology

Paleoceanography is the study of Earth's ocean history, reconstructing past temperature, chemistry, circulation, and biology from sediment cores, fossil shells, and geochemical proxies. By reading the chemical fingerprints locked inside foraminifera shells and ancient marine sediments, scientists can reconstruct millions of years of climate change with remarkable precision.

These simulations let you explore the key tools and events of paleoceanography — from oxygen isotope thermometry and sea-level reconstructions to thermohaline conveyor shutdowns, carbonate dissolution depths, and the dramatic ocean anoxic events that deposited black shales across ancient seafloors.

5 interactive simulations

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CCD Depth & Lysocline

Explore the carbonate compensation depth — the ocean floor below which calcium carbonate dissolves faster than it accumulates, controlled by CO₂, temperature, and ocean chemistry

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Oceanic Anoxic Events & Black Shale

Model the conditions that trigger oceanic anoxic events — explore how warming, nutrient loading, and circulation stagnation create oxygen-free oceans and deposit organic-rich black shales

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δ18O & Ice Volume Proxy

Simulate how oxygen isotope ratios in foraminifera shells record past ice volume and ocean temperature — explore the relationship between δ18O, global ice sheets, and deep-sea temperatures

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Eustatic Sea Level Reconstruction

Reconstruct eustatic sea-level curves from ice volume, thermal expansion, and tectonic factors — visualize how global sea level has changed over geological time

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Thermohaline Conveyor Belt & Shutdown Events

Model the Atlantic thermohaline circulation and its sensitivity to freshwater forcing — explore how meltwater pulses triggered abrupt climate events like the Younger Dryas